Can You Get More Than 1 AMEX Starwood Business Card, If You Have Multiple Businesses?

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    Million Mile Secrets reader, Lana, writes:

    Unfortunately, I got both the AMEX Starwood personal and small business cards when the sign-up bonus was only 25,000 points.  I did cancel the business card in January.  So I understand that I am eligible to get the bonus again on the business card 12 months after I canceled it.

    But if I have 2 businesses, can I earn the two 30,000 point sign-up bonuses with 2 different American Express Starwood cards?

    No.  While some banks, like Chase, allow folks to sign-up for 2 of the same business card for separate businesses, American Express limits business cards to 1 per person.
    AMEX Business Cards Are Limited per Person, NOT per Business

    I’ll explain why Lana can’t get the sign-up bonus for each business she owns and show her other ways she can earn more Starwood points!

    Can You Get 2 AMEX Starwood Small Business Cards?

    Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

    Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

    Link:   My Review of the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

    Lana previously signed-up for the AMEX Starwood personal and card.  And since then, the bonus has increased to 30,000 Starwood points when you meet the minimum spending requirements.

    She can only earn the sign-up bonus with AMEX personal cards once per lifetime.  And even though Lana has 2 legitimate business, she will likely NOT be able to get a 2nd AMEX Starwood small business card.

    AMEX Typically Won’t Approve Folks for More Than 1 of the Same Business Card

    But there are different ways Lana can earn more Starwood Preferred Guest points.

    Other Ways to Earn More Starwood Points!

    Lana can’t earn the sign-up bonus with another AMEX Starwood business card right now, but there are still ways she can earn Starwood points, such as:

    1.   Wait 12 Months

    As Lana points out, you can earn the sign-up bonus on American Express business cards again as long as you haven’t had the same card within the last 12 months.

    Lana canceled her card in January.  So she can apply for a new AMEX Starwood Business card next year and earn the sign-up bonus again!

    You Can Earn the Sign-Up Bonus Again on AMEX Business Cards as Long as You Haven’t Had the Same Card Within the Past 12 Months

    2.   Apply for a Different American Express Card

    If Lana needs more Starwood points for an upcoming award stay or flight, she could sign-up for a card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points.

    Then she could transfer the AMEX Membership Rewards points to Starwood.

    If Lana Needs More Starwood Points to a Stay at Starwood Hotels Like The Westin at Beaver Creek Mountain in Colorado. She Can Get 333 Starwood Points for Every 1,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Points She Transfers

    While she won’t get a favorable rate (3 American Express Membership Rewards points = 1 Starwood point), it may be worthwhile if she needs a few extra points to book an award.

    3.  Spending

    If Lana isn’t already, she can start putting her AMEX Starwood cards to use by charging her everyday purchases.

    With the AMEX Starwood Cards, You Can Earn 2X Starwood Points at Starwood Hotels and 1X Starwood Points on All Other Purchases

    Using your AMEX Starwood personal or small business card for everyday spending is better than using an airline card and earning 1 airline mile per $1 spent.  That’s because you’ll get a 5,000 point bonus when you transfer Starwood points to an airline partner in increments of 20,000 points.

    That said, AMEX Starwood cards don’t have category bonuses like other AMEX cards such as the Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold, and Everyday Preferred. Or Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Plus.

    So if you have these cards, using your AMEX Starwood personal or card may only be a good option for non-bonused spending.

    4.   Have a Friend or Family Member Sign-Up

    If you have a friend or family member who lives with you, they could sign-up for the AMEX Starwood personal or small business card.

    As long as they’ve had the same address as you on their account for at least 30 days, you can combine your points into a single account for a getaway together.

    Combine Starwood Points With a Housemate and Together You Can Afford a Getaway to Far Away Places Like the Sheraton Fiji Resort

    Bottom Line

    If you’re currently an AMEX Starwood small business cardholder, American Express typically will NOT approve you for that same card again., even if you have 2 businesses.  However, you can earn the sign-up bonus on AMEX small business cards again, if you cancel and apply in 12+ months.

    Folks who want more Starwood points to book an award can sign-up for an AMEX Membership Rewards card and transfer the points to Starwood.  While there are better uses for AMEX Membership Rewards points, this could be a good idea for folks who are in a pinch.

    Or put your everyday spending on your current AMEX Starwood card to earn the extra points.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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